Weekly Why: Chelsea, Antonio Conte and the ‘Lure’ of European Football | Bleacher Report

Good piece here. Yes, some players may not be as interested in where they play or who they play against as long as they’re putting money in the bank. I still think the best players want to play in the best tournaments and the Champions League, and might I say the Europa League, are the top in that regard. To counter the argument about the likes of Conte or Di Maria moving, you could say if Neymar was just interested in being the shark in the pond he’d stay in Brazil. Sure, he still does get more money at Barcelona so that helps but he knew he had to go to Europe to be considered among the best. Maybe if other leagues hold unto or attract more top-level talent then the view will shift a little but there’s no denying that playing in Europe is the top of the game. That’s not to say that there’s not good football elsewhere. And one of the deciding factors for Conte is surely to achieve what he couldn’t at Juventus which is a Champions League triumph. One season to get everything in order would only help that cause.